Monday, Rep. Jarrod Lowery, R-Robeson, sent a letter to Governor-elect Josh Stein expressing concern about the appointment of Eastern Band of Cherokee (EBCI) Chief Michell Hicks to his administration. In press release Tuesday, Lowery pointed to similar concerns held by Gov. Roy Cooper’s Commission of Indian Affairs, expressed in a Dec. 6 letter sent by the commission to Chief Hicks directly.
The letter describes the EBCI’s actions as part of “a troubling pattern of behavior in which the EBCI has positioned itself as an oppressor toward fellow tribes in North Carolina and neighboring states.” It condemns the dissemination of “prejudicial and misleading information” by the EBCI and stresses that such conduct is “shameful, counterproductive, and inconsistent with the responsibilities and values that should guide tribal leadership.”
Lowery told Carolina Journal he gives Stein the benefit of the doubt as he works to form his new administration, but is committed to equal recognition and treatment of North Carolina’s Native American tribes. Lowery is a member of the Lumbee Tribe.
At issue, among other policy questions, is the potential for Hicks’ appointment to affect “the sovereignty and rights of all Tribal Nations in the state,” according to Lowery.
The sovereignty issue maybe particularly relevant to the targeting of new gaming facilities within tribal territories, much like Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in western North Carolina, and the Two Kings Casino (Catawba) in Kings Mountain, NC.
Last minute maneuvers to approve multiple casinos as part of 2023 budget legislation fell apart after pushback from select lawmakers. One of the potential casinos would have been slated for the Lumbee Tribe in southeastern North Carolina.
The Trump administration is reportedly in favor of full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe, a move historically and aggressively opposed by EBCI.